


A Strange Theory

by InkyCreatures



Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, It gets cuddly I promise, M/M, Nervous theorizing fish
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-25
Updated: 2019-04-17
Packaged: 2019-12-07 11:01:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18233990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkyCreatures/pseuds/InkyCreatures
Summary: Baxter likes to theorize, he likes creating a hypothesis and he likes to test it to create a fully functional experiment. Although, every once and a while, a small thought will become a big one and he ends up connecting red string in his lab to figure out what devious plot lays before him.Until he realises that there is a slight possibility that perhaps his theory was incorrect but a smiling, red-clad demon's was very much correct.A few drabbles between Alastor and Baxter (Alabaxter? Bastor? Who knows)





	1. Chapter 1

It wasn't irregular, Baxter spent most of his time alone.  
So why did this day seem stranger than the last?  
He reached for bottles on higher shelves and they didn't appear in his hands, he talked to himself and no one replied, he drank more cups of coffee than ever recommended and didn't get reprimanded. A complete normal day. Yet it felt... odd. He stopped his work, putting the flask of mixing colours down in it's holder before turning around, his back pressed against the work table as he pondered.

It hit him in an odd way, like a stinging sensation that turned into a cold burn. Today, he was alone in the lab... Alastor wasn't there.

Like most of the residents at the hotel, Alastor liked to make fun of the short scientist. Baxter found it annoying and stupid how the Radio Demon would stand behind him or beside. He would simply stare, his mouth in his ever present smile as he watched with a scary intensity, occasionly he'd even just.. sniff him? Baxter shook it off as he wanted to see what he was up to or get fuel for the next time he teased him.

Of course this didn't make much sense when Baxter was doing his rare bit of lounging, perhaps reading as the sun came up from a sleepless night of experiments. Alastor would be there, just watching occasionally sitting cross legged on the other side of the seat. If Baxter thought the Radio Demon was creepy before, then this upped the level by at least a hundred and two. 

But now... he was wasn't there. Baxter thought that surely he'd get more work done without the ever present eye and smile of him but he couldn't. It just felt strange not to have him commenting on things and tutting whenever Baxter swore under his breath. Baxter's eyes widened a bit behind his yellowed glasses, perhaps this had been one elaborate prank? Getting him used to Alastor's presence so he would crave- no not crave, be unable to work without it. It was a hypothesis worth testing, if this was the case then Alastor would surely be waiting somewhere for Baxter to come looking.

So Baxter wouldn't, he'd stay in his room, study something for a while until dinner. He looked around his room quickly, snatching up the first specimen he saw and stared intently at it's contents. It was this body posture he spent the next thirty minutes in, trying to find something odd or interesting to look further into but all he could focus on were his eyes in the reflection of the glass and that just made him think of.. No, he would not be fooled again.

He outwardly groaned, put the specimen back in it's rightful place and stood at his desk. "This is so incredibly moronic, how can one know they are part of a mind game yet continue to feel the affects of it" He started scribbling down his notes. "That'll need testing.." he muttered to himself. Paranoia was setting in deeply no matter how he tried to tell himself he was unaffected. "What if he's mind controlled me, what if! He is going to use my genius to get something he wants! By making me need his presence! Oh no, what if it's like narcotics! I'll go crazy! And then.. and then I won't be satisfied with just presences!" He kept muttering to himself like a deranged man, walking in tight circles like some fish in a bowl.

"Hello!"  
"Alastor get out of my room I'm trying to-" he stopped short of himself, slowly turning to the ever smiling radio demon. "Sorry Doll! Came in hot off the press! Work work work!" Alastor beamed as he walked in, his staff poofing into thin air as he came closer to the scientist. "What has the hotel's favourite little piranha been up to today!" Baxter cringed at the reference to his height but deep within himself felt relief as he saw the red-clad figure. "Oh no" He whispered, his thoughts racing, it was like a drug addiction! 

Alastor simply smiled and watched as the scientist sped around the room in a tizzy. He seemed panicked but he always did. So he took his place at the end of the workbench to see what he would do. His smile didn't drop but his brow furrowed slightly at the appearence of cups littering the table, coffee no doubt. 

"I'd imagine you are more caffeine than fish" He stated in his sing song voice as he picked up a discarded cardboard cup with the tips of his fingers. "What? I needed it, just because it goes dark doesn't mean I go to sleep. Now get out so I can work" Baxter was quick to respond, this will be phase one of testing. Alastor was a good actor but even he could not resist making a horrid pun at someone's expense. To Baxter's disapointment, he responded as he usually did with nothing.

"Leave" He pointed towards the door but Alastor didn't even follow it. Instead he kept staring at the notebook on the desk, waiting for Baxter to begin. "Alright! What do you want!?" The scientist asked in a flustered state, looking into the red eyes of his watcher. He suddenly became short of breath, his undead heart beating loud in his chest. "I have no idea what you are talking about doll" Alastor replied in his usual happy go lucky tone. 

Baxter's breath seemed to stop short, like he was breathing through straws. To compensate, he took in deep lungfuls and because of this, his face begun to glow as blood rushed to his cheeks. He looked at the unfazed Alastor. "What are you doing to me!?" He released inbetween his deep breaths, god, he felt as though he was drowning! Again!

Alastor cocked his head, taking in an unusually panicked figure. "Perhaps too much Caffiene hm?" He spoke in his crackling voice as he looked down at him. His fins were flat against his face, as if to make himself even smaller while his cheeks were flushed in a lighter colour. Alastor took the back of his hand and held it to the cool forehead of the scientist causing the other to panic further.

"You're not running a temperature but you are acting quite odd.. perhaps a trip to the doctor is in need" Alastor said while staring intently at him. Baxter swore he felt his organs flee when the warm hand was placed on him. His stomach threatened him to regurgitate the contents of his stomach, which was mostly coffee. 

Alastor hummed, squinting as he looked over the scientist with a scanning glare. He picked up one of the coffee cups and sniffed it which made Baxter's jaw drop. "What are you doing? Give me that" he shouted as he jumped to get the cup. Alastor easily held it out of reach bur handed it back in a disinterested manor. "I just thought perhaps Angel had slipped you something" He said with an innocent smile.

"No! I know what you're doing Alastor! You're trying to put the blame on someone else but I know your game!" Baxter shouted, pointing a gloved finger towards the intruder of his room and brain.

Alastor folded his arms, his smile dimming. "I haven't done anything to you Baxter" He said matter of factly. "I was being friendly" he spoke in an offended tone, looking away in a dramatic fashion. "You did! Why else would I feel sick when you aren't here!" Baxter shouted still pointing. 

"Sick?" Alastor's head snapped back to viewing the small scientist. "Yes! I feel ill and gross when you aren't here and feel relief when you're back, like drugs!" He explained gesturing with his other hand while still pointing at the grinning demon.

"That doesn't sound like an illness" Alastor stated, smiling and tapping his thumb against his chin as if thinking. "Then what could it be?!" Baxter almost screached as his theory was messed with.  
Alastor smiled, his eyes half shut "Love".


	2. SCREACH

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm also making Baxter x Alastor art stuff on my twitter! https://twitter.com/TheInkyAbyss

For the first time in his time in hell, he touched someone on purpose.  
He let out a undignified screech as he placed two hands on the front of Alastor's jacket and shoved him towards the door. Alastor had obviously been surprised because the first shove he actually moved backwards, not stumbling, kind of sliding of the tiled laboratory floor. "Hmm?" The red-clad demon hummed as he looked down at his shoes "Half a tile! Quite a feat for someone of your size" He said with his usual flare. "Get out get out get out" Baxter repeated like a mantra, still trying to shove the radio-demon out of his room. Now though, his shoes could find no traction and his hands pressing as hard as they could against his stomach didn't seem to be doing anything. It certainly looked embarrassing, like a kid trying to get their teenage sibling out of their room. 

Baxter leaned back, looked up into the face of the smiling radio demon and crossed his arms.  
"Get out"  
"No"  
"Why not!"  
This somehow made him smile wider, his head slowly cocking to the side, "You are being quite entertaining" He replied in his happy go lucky way. Baxter din't reply, instead sitting there pondering how he could make this radio host idiot leave. He thought back to something, something Angel had did and a small smile spread on his face. Nonchalantly he pulled his stepping stool from beneath the desk. Pulled it so it was in front of the dastardly figure, climbed it and prepared himself. He could loose an arm in this untested experiment, he could be erased too but that wasn't what he was thinking. He raised a gloved hand, Alastor looking at it curiously.  
He took a deep breath before reaching his hand towards Alastor's hair.

He expected a swoosh of laboratory scented air as Alastor's head snapped at an unnatural angle backwards but it didn't happen.  
Instead, his gloved hand touch soft red and brown hair. He looked at Alastor wide eyed but on the other sinner's face was not anger or even that strange happiness he had before he dismembered someone. He first had a look of surprise, his smile interchanged a small 'o' then as the hand sunk deeper a look of bliss crossed his features. Baxter cocked his head sideways, allowing his fingers to scratch in the thick hair, just for scientific purposes. A soft hum escaped Alastor, as he leaned his head into the touch for a moment before snapping up and away from the gloved hand. "I just remembered I have to pick up my dry cleaning!" He said loudly before exiting the room quicker than Baxter had ever seen him physically move, usually he would just teleport.

The scientist stood on his stool for a moment in shock of what had just happened, he looked at his hand like it was an insect sucking his blood. A infected limb that needed to be removed immediately. He cast a look to his paper guillotine but thought better of it. Instead. He got to work.

He got off the stool, kicking it haphazardly back under the desk and ripping his note book from the shelf. He starts scribbling writing frantically down everything that just happened. Searching for any way, any possible way, that could explain not only the lonesome feeling and squirming organs but the way Alastor let him PET HIM. Suddenly he heard his door jingle, the bell contraption he had put on in attempts to keep Angel and Alastor out of his room jangling as someone walked in. He snapped towards them about to throw his last good pen when he saw it was Vaggie.

Vaggie looked like she was trying to keep something in her mouth, her face red. "What are you doing" He asked with a confused look on his face. She suddenly bursts out in laughter, nearly folding in half from the weight of her joyous glee. "I.. HA have HA never.." She choked out. "Alastor, Oh Lucifer, he just ran his ass down the hall" She said before bursting into another fit of laughter. "He even dropped his monocle!!" She squealed in between fits. She held up the red oval of glass triumphantly. "What did you do to him?" She asked, wiping a tear from her eye. "I pet him" He replied in a monotone voice, as if just realising what he had done. Vaggie looked him over, likely looking for any missing parts before exploding in laughter again. "You PET Him?!" Charlie shouted as she stepped through the open door, looking for wounds on the scientist.

He then thought to the ramifications of letting this slip that not only did he pet the Radio-demon but the radio-demon LET him. "No, well not exactly. I was reaching for my pencil case and I grabbed his arm" He gulped, the lie flowing from his mouth easily. "I tried to grab it but he must've thought I was trying to do.. something so he left". Charlie had a huge smile on her face "He didn't hurt you? At all?" she asked quickly after he finished. "Um no". She squealed in excitement, "This is a huge step Vaggie! This means he is getting better!" She ran out of the room as fast as Alastor had dragging a still giggling Vaggie behind her.

Baxter sighed and put his head down on his desk.


	3. The Red Reveal

Alastor’s breaths came in short uncontrolled spurts as he slammed the door to his room behind him, distantly hearing the jingling of bells at Baxter’s door opening again. His back pressed against the smooth wood of the reinforced door; his hands spread wide as if to force out the heat blooming in his chest. His usually pale face matching the rest of his attire in a flush of red. He listened to the reborn heart in his chest beat rapidly against his ribcage as he listened to the muffled conversation in the hall.  
He let out a low sigh, a hand covering his still quickly beating heart. It sounded like war drums crashing in his ears. His other hand came to his cheek feeling the abundant heat flowing from the rosy skin and noting the missing oval of red glass usually present. He cringed, opening his door a slight bit to look into the hallway. The monocle was not present and Charlie was excitedly bouncing away from Baxter’s room with her giggling girlfriend in tow. He shut the door, pressing his forehead against the cool surface.

He teleported, the feeling much more natural than whatever spectacle he just produced did. He appeared beside his very much unused bed. It was used just as decoration, a filler for the room so it didn’t appear like he just stood in the centre of the room smiling. Even if that is what he did. Nowadays… he used it for this purpose.  
He flopped onto the comfortable surface, blankets flying with the addition of his weight as he stared up to the barren ceiling. He grasped a decorative pillow in his hands, looked at the object for a moment before smothering his face with it. A screech echoing out from his throat, muffled by the fabric and stuffing.

When he felt the majority of his anguish had been expelled through horrific screams that would surely scar anyone in vicinity to hear him, he sat up. The blush hadn’t lightened from his features but his signature smile had been replaced with one of an unusually soft nature. He let out another soft sigh as he turned to the bedside table, grabbing a framed picture and staring into its contents. He cooed as he pulled his legs into a crossed posture, hugging the throw pillow with one arm while holding the other. The photograph was of a very annoyed Baxter whom was trying to bash away the photographer who happened to be a certain spider. 

This strange feeling had developed early in the last year, it wasn’t all of a sudden but a creeping feeling that dripped into his bloodstream like poison. He found himself staring after the smaller man often. He felt his heart tug from the bottom every time the scientist would speak, no matter the content of the conversations.  
He understood the concept vaguely, it was a ‘crush’ if he could remember correctly. Some sort of strange obsession one gained when they were interested in starting a romantic relationship with someone. Luckily the radio-demon was incredibly good at hiding his emotions behind a smile and hadn’t made a slip… well until today at least. He put his head in his hands, letting a groan as he shoved a hand through his red and brown hair, cursing his existence.

He was already screaming on the inside from when Baxter pressed his gloved hands against him to push him out of the room. So, surprised by the rare touch, he let his guard down enough to actually be moved by the man with small stature. He was expecting when Baxter pulled out his cute little stool for the gloved man to try and smack him on the face but then… Perhaps he was strung on by the way he reacted to Angel Dust trying to touch his hair but his body just stopped. Something inside him urging him to stay still and discover the blissful feeling as an unfamiliar hand slipped through his hair.

He swept his own hand through the red and brown strands again, the experience not equal to the way Baxter’s hands reached for him. He shuddered, hugging the throw pillow he had screamed his frustrations and unrequited love into. It was a horrid, embarrassing feeling that coursed through him. One that was sided with a plate full of dread and that gnawing worrisome feeling eating away at his insides.

He looked to the red-wood door he had come in from, it almost seemed to glow with the possibilities of leaving once more and re-entering Baxter’s cold laboratory. A love sick dream that the scientist who hated him so would fall into his arms without even a confession of the secret he had been holding the past two years. He tried to shake his head of the romantic but impossible dream but it remained stuck.

He laid back down, closing his eyes and allowing his untamed mind to continue its silly daydream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Secretly romantic love-stricken Alastor, yes please.


End file.
